Hird questioned in insurance lawsuit

James Hird has taken the stand in his lawsuit against Essendon football club's insurer over his legal bills from taking the anti-doping authority to court.

The former Essendon coach is suing Chubb Insurance after it declined to pay the legal costs of his failed case against the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority in the Federal Court in 2014, and the cost of a subsequent appeal that Hird lost in 2015.

Hird says he decided to appeal against the Federal Court dismissal for a number of legal and personal reasons.

"One of the reasons was my reputation," he told a Victorian Supreme Court civil trial on Tuesday.

"Another was I wouldn't have a team to coach if 34 players weren't allowed to play."

Hird is referring to the 34 past and present Bombers players who were issued with show-cause notices in 2014 and faced bans over the team's 2012 supplements program.

After ASADA issued the notices in June 2014, Hird went to the Federal Court seeking an injunction against the anti-doping authority on the basis its investigation was unlawful.